Thoughts on farming in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia and beyond

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

In remembrance of John Wilcox

“Our
imperative now lies not in how to grow this or how to market that.
What’s critical is a rebirth of BC farm Leadership. In BC, only one
half of one percent of the province still farms, and our provincial
government spending on agriculture, by percentage of GDP, is the
lowest in Canada. We need new mortgage systems to enable investment
in farmland. Using the Agricultural Land Reserve to grow our own food
will never happen without such enabled investment – and such
investment requires leadership.”

John
Wilcox, Salt Spring Island farmer, farm leader and farm writer

The
farm community lost a prominent voice, strong leader, good friend and
mentor when John Wilcox passed away on June 15th
at age 72. John was a sixth- generation farmer/agronomist and
agriculture school graduate who owned and operated Duck Creek Farm on
Salt Spring Island with his life partner Sue Earle. Over the past
twenty years, since moving the family farm from Ontario to BC, John
was an active member and served on the boards of directors of several
farm and conservation organizations.

Active
is perhaps an understatement. In a notice to all District "A" Farmers’
Institute members, Jenny McLeod, Secretary of District A said “He
WAS District "A" Farmers’ Institute and our resident historian. He
gave his all for farmers and farming and gave a voice to small scale
farmers throughout BC. He was a founder of FARM Community Council
and a real contributor to agriculture in BC.”

John
also had interests beyond our borders and was at the forefront of
many initiatives. As a new graduate in 1961, he went to rural India
as an agricultural volunteer and became a founding member of Canadian
Volunteers Overseas, now Canadian University Students Overseas
(CUSO). His current positions included membership in BC Farm Writers
Association, Island Natural Growers and Salt Spring Island Chamber of
Commerce. John was also a Conservation Partner with The Land
Conservancy of BC. In 2007 John received a Life Time Achievement
Award for Dedicated Service to Community Agriculture and District “A”
Farmers Institute for his many years serving on boards for Islands
Farmers Institute, Island Natural Growers, District "A" Farmers’
Institute, BC Federation of Agriculture, FARM Community Council,
Investment Agriculture and the BC Agriculture Council.

His
crowning achievement was Duck Creek Farm, an organic market garden
and biodiverse conservation area. He had to work hard, for many
years, to earn the money to buy and develop the land into a viable,
productive farm and home. His success as a farmer was recognized
by the business community, as he was awarded the first ever Salt
Spring Island Chamber of Commerce Home Based Business Award in 2006,
and the Agricultural/Farm Business of the Year Award in 2011.

For
years John Wilcox wrote pearls of wisdom in his “Barn Side”
column, prominently featured with his infectious smile on the
editorial pages of the widely-read farm paper, Country Life in BC.
His columns dissected government policies and actions, presented
opinions and ideas, in essence not just thinking out loud but talking
(or shouting) out loud to anyone who would listen. His style was all
his own. The farmer-activist, who used his pen as his weapon, or
tool, was vital in communicating to policy makers, other farmers and
the public.His personal
frustrations with the ever-growing counterproductive bureaucracies
became the catalyst for his activism and his actions. His early
working life included government positions in both Ontario and BC in
the golden years of extension services for farmers, so he had a good
idea of what farmers needed, and what government could provide.

John
was also known as “Johnny Canuck”, for his anti-Free Trade
mission in 1988 highlighted by a cross-Canada round trip in a 1941
maple leaf-painted Chevy. It is so appropriate that his life will be
celebrated on Canada Day, July 1st,
at Fulford Hall, starting at 3 pm.